Five Signs Of Allah’s Love to His Servant
Most commonly, Love is defined as a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment. Lot of people often confine Love into world’s amusement and adornment. Since Love is a natural occurring process phenomena in human beings, it is unsurprisingly to see human society being a wash with love passion and affection. The love of a husband’s love for his wife, Father’s affection for his kids, one’s love for his home are just but few examples of the impact of this most amazing gift in the world. Allah has created the man’s intense love for wealth as He (Swt) illustrated in Suratul Aadiyat.
وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ ٱلْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ
And indeed he is in love of wealth intense
TMQ 100:08]
However this meaning is only related to human beings. As for Allah’s attribute of love, it means granting His bounty of Forgiveness to His servant. And indeed; what extent of this grace of attaining the love of Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth! Allah has made explicitly clear the He loves the righteous servants in suratul Maidah.
فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ
Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him
[TMQ 5:54]
Before we present the signs indicating Allah’s love to His servant, it is critical to mention that Allah’s love to his servants is basically within the sphere of abiding to commandments of Allah i.e. ones’ submission to the commands of Allah and abstaining from His Prohibitions. This guarantees someone toward attaining the Love of Allah. In this regard, the Prophet Peace be Upon Him used to ask Allah to grant him righteous deeds that will enable him attain His Love. It was narrated by Tirmidhy from Abu Dardai that the Messenger of Allah SAW said:
كَانَ مِنْ دُعاءِ دَاوُدَ: اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْألُكَ حُبَّكَ، وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ، وَالعَمَلَ الَّذِي يُبَلِّغُنِي حُبَّكَ..، ».
Oh Yaa Rabbi Grant me Your Love, the Love of those whom you love and the love of those deeds that will me earn Your Love.
First: Attaining People’s Love in this World
When you see people (the believers) showing their love to you, then it is a good sign that Allah has granted you His Love. In hadith narrated by Abu Huraira, Prophet (SAAW) Said:
إنَّ اللهَ تعالى إذا أحب عبدًا دعا جبريل، فقال: إني أحب فلانا فَأَحْبِبْهُ، فيحبه جبريل، ثم ينادي في السماء، فيقول: إن الله
يحب فلاناً فأحبوه، فيحبه أهل السماء، ثم يوضع له القَبُولُ في الأرضِ
When Allah loves a slave, He says to Jibreel, “I love so-and-so, so love him”, so Jibreel loves him and then calls out to the people of heaven, “Allah loves so-and-so, so love him”, and the people of heaven love him, and then acceptance is placed in the Earth for him».
Second: Asceticism (Zuhd)
This is one of the signs showing that a person has been granted the love of Allah. Sufian Al-Thawri –one of the great scholars – said: Al-zuhd in this world is that you are ready in your heart and think of the Hereafter – you think of death. Zuhd means a status of the heart where a person fears he will not live a long life. This will motivate everyone to be a good Muslim. If we have this feeling that we are going to leave this world at any time, this will lead us to be closer to Allah and fulfill our obligations and also to get away from disobedience. It also means being unmoved by worldly strife such as wealth, children and women. Today our lives are adorned with a capitalism that glorifies the materialism – full of entertainment and enjoyment making one to believe that worldly life the most precious. Ads such as ‘Celebrate good time with Tusker’ on TV channels are common today alluding many to believe that the success in the world lies in seeking material gratification, do what you want irrespective of its lawfulness or illegality! This is has made people so desperate in their pursuit of ‘better life’ and have no time at all in serving their Diin. A man came to the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and said: “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and people to love me.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, answered: “Be indifferent to the world and Allah will love you; be indifferent to what people possess and they will love you.”
Third: Humbleness to your Believers
Gentleness is one of the most appealing behavior among the human being. Humbleness means to have intelligence in almost every action that you do. For example, a fellow Muslim who argues that the Islamic State is established by calling people to rituals and the Aqeeda, it is imprudent to tell him: ‘You wicked fellow, you know nothing about Islam! Conversely, it is insightful to tell him: my dear brother, you have known one issue just as well you have ignored many issues… Then you start expounding to him the method of Rasulullah for re-establishment of Dar-ul Islam. In our homes we should interact and treat wives with immense wisdom. It will irrational to start insulting your wife merely for breaking a cup!
Fourth: Patience
Allah SWT has repeatedly mentioned in the Quran the attribute of Patience/ subra and emphasized He is always with the steadfast. This great character plays a great role in every aspect of Muslim life. It is Allah’s precedence to test believers with different trials such as hunger, drought, and death and so on. Furthermore, the task ahead of us at this present time in particular is the resumption of Islamic life through the re-establishment of Khilafah which its method is faced with hurdles and hardships. Hence the history is repeating itself, the call for revival today is faced with slander, and the persecution of daawa carries. Allah says:
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِين
How many of the prophets fought (in Allah´s way), and with them (fought) Large bands of godly men? But they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah´s way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast.
[TMQ 3:125]
Fifth: Following the Guidance of the Prophet S.A.W
Allah says:
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
(O Messenger!) Tell people: ‘If you indeed love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and will forgive you your sins. Allah is all-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.’
[TMQ 3:31]
The act of following the path of the Prophet SAAW enables us to earn the love of Allah SWT. In daawa platform, we hear many Da’awa carriers calling Muslims to strictly follow the traditions of the Prophet SAAW which indeed is a righteous act. Unfortunately, calling people to follow the guidance has been refrained to only morals characters and spiritual issues i.e. restricting Islam within the places of Worship whilst disregarding it in other aspects of life! Devastatingly, some of those claiming to emulate the Sunnah of the Prophet SAAW are the strict followers of the policies of Biden and Boris Johnson. Today, Muslims do not implement the Economic System outlined and applied by Prophet Muhammad SAAW instead they are bounded to Capitalism- Adam Smith system. Instead of following the unique and crystal values of the Prophet SAAW they follow the corrupt liberal values of John Locke! Indeed one of the signs to show that Allah love is following the Prophet SAAW in everything in all spheres of life…
These are five signs indicating that someone has earned Allah’s love. The love of Allah is certainly a precious substance for a servant to seek. How lucky that our Prophet SAAW laid down to us out the way to attain this love as it came in hadith Qudusi.
…And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him”. Reported by Imam Bukhari
May ALLAH Grant us His Love
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya